Free Grayslake: Furrever Yours (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Georgette St. Clair Page B

“Thanks, Olive, I hope you’re right.” She had dark circles under her eyes.
    “Are you all right?” Heather asked her with sympathy.
    “I’ll be fine,” Trista said wearily. “Working two jobs.”
    “I hate to bother you, but any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated, and might help save a girl from an abusive relationship.”
    Heather explained the situation, telling her everything she knew about it, and also all the false claims that were being made against Margaret.
    When she was done, Trista shook her head and frowned. “Unfortunately, it can be hard to go up against an Alpha’s law. If he beat her up, it may be seen as his word against hers, and he’s the one with the wealthy, connected, extremely powerful father. That’s the way it is with shifters. Trust me, I know from painful experience.”
    Heather sighed. “That’s frequently the way it is with humans too, unfortunately. I’ve seen abusers get away with things, and it chaps my hide. I can’t let this happen to Margaret; I promised her. Are you saying there’s nothing that can be done?”
    “No. It’s difficult, but not necessarily impossible. I’ve used the laws to find loopholes to let me stay here in town.” At Heather’s questioning look, she added, “The hyenas here kidnapped the son of the local bear leader, and they attacked and permanently scarred his brother by using poison-tipped claws. All of the hyenas are being ordered out of this area.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s a shame to see all of you tarred with the same brush.”
    Trista gave a weary, resigned shrug. “Well, I guess in fairness, a lot of the local hyenas were a trouble-making bunch. Anyway, if you’re with Knox, he’ll have access to the documents that spell out shifter laws. You need to study chapter twenty-three, regarding Alpha matings, from beginning to end. Look for any possible loophole.”
    “Thank you. I’ll go home and start doing that immediately.”
    Olive slapped down a hundred-dollar bill on the counter for Trista. When Trista tried to argue, Olive shook her head.
    “You’re one of the few good ones in your pack, and you’re getting a raw deal,” she said to her. “And I was sorry to hear about your mother going missing. I hope you find her soon. Good luck with everything.”
    They hurried out the back door.
    “The shifter world sounds like there’s a lot of unfairness and favoring of the rich and powerful,” Heather grumbled as they climbed into Clarence’s car.
    “Is it really any different than the human world, though?” Olive asked.
    “No, I’m afraid it’s not.”
    “There is a lot of unfairness, but there’s also lot of good, and loyalty, and kindness, and love,” Olive said. “Most shifters are extremely loyal to their mates, for example. My Mortimer and I were married for seventy years, God rest his soul. That’s the kind of happiness I know you and Knox have in your future.” She patted Heather’s leg with her withered hand.
    “Well, thank you, Olive, that’s very kind of you. I hope that you’re right,” Heather said, touched.
    She leaned back in her seat and glanced over at Clarence.
    Later that day, Olive was going to go out to the cave where Margaret was hiding out. Everybody was watching Heather, but Olive could come and go as she pleased. She’d take her food, clean clothes, and a disposable cell phone.
    Sometime next week, Heather had decided, she’d find a way to sneak Margaret out of Georgia.
    * * * * *
    “I feel like I’ve discovered a whole new world,” Heather said to Knox the next afternoon. He’d taken her out for lunch in downtown Sugar Creek. They were sitting at an outdoor table of a little café called the Sugar Shack.
    “Are there shifters all over the country?” she asked him, glancing around cautiously to make sure that there was nobody listening to them.
    “Yes, in every state. They’re mostly in more rural areas, so that they can have a big plot of land where